Snake Eyes
by Aiko Isari
Summary: [Hunters] Knowing it's wrong doesn't stop him. Knowing what's right doesn't mean he'll do it. It's nothing romantic, nothing tragic. He just likes watching. And playing.
1. Eyes

**_A/N:_**Hi! Random oneshot for the win! Well, I might continue it, probably not. It's just something I thought up while looking at random fanfic challenges. I am working on _Ours_ and _Happenstance_. I need a little more for the latter, almost done with the former. There will be a profile update when both are updated. :D Until then, let this tide you over. I apologize for the lack of updates last week. I was feeling absolutely horrible. Still am, but I intend to work with it as well as I can. Thanks!

[Hunters] Knowing it's wrong doesn't stop him. Knowing what's right doesn't mean he'll do it. It's nothing romantic, nothing tragic. He just likes watching.

* * *

_Snake Eyes_

He liked watching Taiki-san.

He knew... it was absolutely weird.

He couldn't help himself sometimes.

It was just in the way he made it all look so damn easy.

He never Hunted, but he fought like he _could_. He fought like he was going to crush the life out of measly prey, leaving it only to the weak because they needed the taste of blood on their tongues. Two Digimon had rushed his own, and there wasn't just a lack of fright, there was a concern for them, one that should have hindered his partner but didn't. Instead it made the other stronger and how the hell was that even possible?

It was just fascinating.

He bore no one ill will. At least, it seemed that way. He smiled at them when he passed them on the street, helped when he could. He even seemed pleased to know they were around.

It was rather infuriating, actually.

He wanted Taiki-san's power, to see his strength, to get under his skin so deeply that he could actually see him use it.

Nothing ever came of it. His expression was usually warm, even when someone had angered him. It was like he had lost the ability to be passionate somewhere down the line.

No... it was more like he had given it up.

He wanted to know why.

Could he ask?

Dare he?

Ren must have, at least once. For some reason, he bothered Taiki-san as much as he could. Nothing came of that either. Ren believed the guy had his tolerance level maxed from the people he was with.

Perhaps that was the truth of it. He was simply very tolerant, and that kept his power in check. That kept the truth out of sight.

Or maybe it was something deeper.

He wasn't sure, but the more he watched Taiki-san, the more he thought that was the case.

The more he saw the other think he was alone, the more he saw scowls, noticed dark bags under his eyes, and a furrowing of the brow. How the gentle smile twitched once in a while. Sometimes attacks would be a little too close to killing blows. Sometimes he would see the older boy glare over someone's head or purposefully avoid being near someone else.

Those were normal things.

But they were so interesting.

Because if he ever really lost his temper, what would happen? How much power would show itself?

On the downside, what if he was made to relax? Lower the iron grip on his self?

The options, the ideas... the power...

If he really wanted to, he could find out. He knew that. He could make things go a certain way, if he wanted to. A part of him did. He wanted to see what would happen. How far Taiki-san could be pushed. What way he could go.

It was the power that he craved.

He was too used to being powerless. That was all.

It wasn't Taiki-san himself.

Or maybe it was.

He wasn't a romantic person. He was ambitious... but he wasn't foolish. To see so much generosity and power lingering there... was it wrong to not want to play with it a little? To mold it? To toy with it?

There were ethics to consider, naturally... but those hadn't stopped him from Hunting. This was just a different catch.

Why not? It could be fun.

So, in the alleyway, he offered his hand. "Want to play, Taiki-san? I'm not easily entertained."

It should have surprised him when Taiki only smiled back and shook his hand. "I'm not an easy person to beat."

It should have shocked him, but it didn't.

After all, he had been watching Taiki-san for a long time.


	2. Red

_**A/N:** _This wasn't meant to be continued, but it was. I'm sorry. It's not really meant to make that much sense, just keep me from going insane while being stuck at a dormitory. The characters go nuts instead. Note: has nothing to do with At Peace. Updates, if there are more, will be whenever. Enjoy... if I haven't creeped you out.

* * *

He hadn't been able to figure out how to fight him for a long while, not until Taiki's smile changed. Not until it looked just a bit less sweet and a bit more bloody. Not until it almost did seem romantic to look after him. Then he had to shake his head and laugh because nothing about this serious enough for that.

All it was was a game.

All of it, down to the way the other boy grinned at someone else. To _rile _him.

"Just because people are alive doesn't make them any less fun," he had decided one day. Taiki had looked at him like he had never thought of that... and then had laughed.

He had laughed and tapped his fingers where his Xros Loader sat innocently on one leg. "Something to be said for that."

It was rather scary how he had smiled at him for saying such a thing. It was more of the lack of things to feel in that smile. It was the challenge in it. It was the saying of: _are you going to be fun because you're alive? Or am I?_

The anticipation was gripping his throat, but all he did was smile right back.

"Something like what?"

Taiki laughed. "_You're _the challenger._ Challenge _me."

"Fighting words."

"I mostly wear red for a reason."

He licked his lips and almost giggled. This was fun! "There could be a lot of good reasons for you to wear red. Most of them are obscene."

Taiki had raised an eyebrow. "You're insane, aren't you?"

"I have to be," he had replied, smile widening ever further. "I'm playing with _you_ like I have a chance!"

"We don't even have a game yet." There should have been appalled exasperation and concern for his well-being. But Taiki offered him none and that made him... happy? Confused? Who really cared? That meant the round was his either way. He wanted power, power over the powerful.

And with this dice roll, he was going to get it. It was already working.

Just had to nudge himself a bit further off the edge, that's all. What harm could it do?

"Then what are you complaining about?" he decided to ask instead, looking at Taiki for every answer because he could give them if he wanted.

The General shrugged. "I can't gripe to myself?"

He had the urge to stick his tongue out, but didn't. It was too soon. "Not if I can't be insane."

"Never said you couldn't."

"You're so tolerant of my flaws~"

Taiki chuckled. "As long as you remain tolerant of mine." He sipped at a cooled cup of tea and hummed to himself. "Secrets are fun to keep," he suddenly mused. "Like blood they seep out no matter how much you hide them."

He laughed again, and this one was hard to hold in. "Then we have to let it bleed itself out in the end."

"There's never enough red to go around."


End file.
